I tell you all her wealth. -For you, great King, [To France. France. This is most strange! That she, who ev'n but now was your best object, Cor. I yet beseech your Majesty, (if fo Lear. Better thou Hadst not been born, than not have pleas'd me better, Which often leaves the history unspoke That it intends to do? my Lord of Burgundy, Aloof from the intire point. Say will you have her? She is her self a dowry. Bur. Royal King, Give but that portion which your self propos'd, And And here I take Cordelia by the hand, Dutchess of Burgundy. Lear. Nothing - I've sworn. Bur. I'm forry then you have so loft a father, That you must lose a husband. Cor. Peace be with Burgundy, Since that respects of fortune are his love, I shall not be his wife. France. Fairest Cordelia, that art most rich, being poor, Most choice, forsaken; and most lov'd, despis'd! Thee and thy virtues here I seize upon, Gods, Gods! 'tis strange, that from their cold'st neglect Thy dowreless daughter, King, thrown to my chance, Lear. Thou hast her, France, let her be thine, for we Have no fuch daughter, nor shall ever fee Without our grace, our love, our benizon: Come, noble Burgundy. 4 : [Flourish. Exeunt Lear and Burgundy, SCENE IV. France. Bid farewel to your fisters. Cor. Ye jewels of our father, with wash'd eyes Cordelia leaves you: I know what you are, And like a fifter am most loth to call Your faults as they are nam'd. Love well our father; To your profeffing bosoms I commit him; But yet, alas, stood I within his grace, I would prefer him to a better place. So farewel to you both. Reg. Prefcribe not us our duty. Gon. Let your study Be to content your Lord, who hath receiv'd you At At fortune's alms; you have obedience scanted, Cor. Time shall unfold what plaited cunning hides, France. Come, my fair Cordelia. [Exeunt France and Cor. SCENE V. Gon. Sifter, it is not little I've to say, Of what most nearly appertains to us both; I think our father will go hence to-night. Reg. That's certain, and with you; next month with Gon. You see how full of changes his age is, the obfervation we have made of it hath not been little; he always lov'd our fister most, and with what poor judgment he hath now cast her off, appears too grosly. Reg. 'Tis the infirmity of his age; yet he hath ever but flenderly known himself. Gon. The best and foundest of his time hath been but rash; then must we look from his age to receive not alone the imperfections of long-engrafted condition, but therewithal the unruly waywardness, that infirm and cholerick years bring with them. Reg. Such unconstant starts are we like to have from him, as this of Kent's banishment. 31 ( Gon. There is further complement of leave-taking between Burgundy and him; pray you, let us fit together: if our father carry authority, with such disposition as he bears, this last surrender of his will but offend us. Reg. We shall further think of it. Gon. We must do something, and i'th' heat. [Exeunt. A Castle belonging to the Earl of Glo'ster. Baft. Thou, Nature, art my Goddess, to thy law My services are bound; wherefore should I The courtesy of nations to deprive me, For that I am some twelve or fourteen moonshines : Lag Lag of a brother? * and why bastard? base? More compofition and fierce quality, EP Got 'tween a-fleep and wake? Well then, good brother, Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land, 1 1 SCENE VII. To bim, Enter Glo'fter. And the King gone to-night! subscrib'd his pow'r, 1 Upon the gad Edmund, how now? what news? Baft. Nothing, my Lord.. Glo. No! what needed then that terrible dispatch of it into your pocket? the quality of nothing hath not fuch Edmund is here inveighing against the tyranny of custom, of which he produces two distinct instances, one with refpect to younger brothers, the other with respect to bastards. In the former he muft not be understood to mean himself though he fpeaks in the first perfon, but according to a common mode of speech to suppose the cafe his own, and as in his own person to exclaim against the unreafonableness and injustice of the thing: the argument thus becomes general, implying more than is said, namely, wherefore should I or any man, &c. + As the treading upon another's heels is an expression used to fignify the being not far behind him; fo to toe another means to come up to and be upon even ground with him. : 3 need I need to hide it felf. Let's fee; come, if it be nothing, I shall not need spectacles, Baft. I beseech you, Sir, pardon me it is a letter from my brother, that I have not all o'er-read; and for so much as I have perus'd, I find it not fit for your o'er-looking. Glon Give me the letter, Sir.. Bast. I shall offend, either to detain, or give it; the contents, as in part I understand them, are to blame. Glo. Let's fee, let's fee. Bast. I hope, for my brother's justification, he wrote this but as an essay, or taste of my virtue. -idle and fond bondage as in the Glo. reads.] This policy in reverence of age makes the world bitter to the best of our times; keeps our fortunes from us, 'till our oldness cannot relish them. I begin to find an oppreffion of aged tyranny; which way. fways, not it hath power, but as it is suffered. Come to me, that of this I may speak more. If cur father would feep 'till I wak'd bim, you should enjoy half bis revenue for ever, and live the beloved of your brother. Edgar. -Hum-Conspiracy! - leep 'till I wake him-you should enjoy half his revenue My fon Edgar! had he a hand to write this! a heart and a brain to breed it in! When came this to you? who brought it? Baft. It was not brought me, my Lord; there's the cunning of it. I found it thrown in at the casement of - my closet.. Glo. You know the character to be your brother's? Baft. If the matter were good, my Lord, I durst swear it were his; but in refpect of that, I would fain think it Baft. It is his hand, my Lord; I hope his heart is not in the contents. Glo. Has he never before founded you in this business ? Baft. Never, my Lord. But I have heard him oft maintain it to be fit, that fons being at perfect age, and fathers declining, the father should be as a ward to the son, and the fon manage his revenue. Glo. O villain, villaint his very opinion in the letter. Abhorred villain! unnatural, detested, bratish villain! K2 worfe |